Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
writer and filmmaker. He is most noted for his theatrical play ''I Forgive You'', a collaboration with
Robert Chafe
Robert Chafe (born 1971) ''Waterfront Views: Contemporary Writing of Atlantic Canada''. is a Canadia ...
which was shortlisted for the
Governor General's Award for English-language drama
The Governor General's Award for English-language drama honours excellence in Canadian English-language playwriting. The award was created in 1981 when the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry or drama was divided.
Because the awa ...
at the
2024 Governor General's Awards
The shortlisted nominees for the 2024 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 8, 2024, and the winners were announced on November 13.Cassandra Drudi"Jordan Abel, Niigaan Sinclair among 2024 Governor General’s award ...
.
Background
On October 12, 2013, Jones, a gay resident of
New Glasgow
New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait.
The town's population was 9,471 ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
CBC News
CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...
, December 11, 2013. The attack left Jones
paraplegic
Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek ()
"half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...
Xtra!
''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...
'', July 6, 2014. and was selected as the grand marshal of the 2014
CBC News
CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, whose stated goals included creating something positive out of his experience by using
choral music
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Na ...
'', May 23, 2018. he subsequently launched Vox, a community choir dedicated to social change through artistic performance in Halifax.
In 2022, Jones released his own short film, ''Coin Slot'', about the impending anniversary of his 2013 attack. It was the winner of the Best Atlantic Short Film award at the 2022 Atlantic International Film Festival. He previously won the festival's RBC Script Development Award in 2020 for a feature screenplay titled ''It's the Fear That Keeps Me Awake''.
His second short film, ''Freedom'', was screened at the 2024 Atlantic International Film Festival.
''I Forgive You'' premiered in 2022, in a production by the Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland theatre company in St. John's. It was subsequently staged at the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
in 2023, in a production directed by
Jillian Keiley
Jillian Keiley is a Canadian theater director.
Early life and education
Keiley was born in 1970 and raised in Goulds, a community just south of St. John's, in Newfoundland, Canada. She attended St. Kevin's High School and York University, com ...
CBC Arts
CBC Arts () is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that creates and curates written articles, short documentaries, non-fiction series and interactive projects that represent the excellence of Canada's diverse artistic communitie ...